Legislative Issues
Bill Tracker
Texas Legislative Process Overview
The Texas Legislature meets in Austin every odd-numbered year (from January through May) to pass new laws. All legislation must undergo at least one public hearing in both a House and Senate committee before it can be passed into law. These hearings are the key opportunities for input to be provided to policymakers. Legislative committee hearings are held intensively from January through May of odd numbered years and periodically outside of these regular sessions, as scheduled by the committee chairs.
This site is intended to provide links to and highlights of important water and environmental bills TACWA is tracking. TACWA actively tracks state legislation and testifies as appropriate through collaboration between our Executive Director Julie Nahrgang, WEAT President and leadership, and WEAT Knowledge Committees. Scroll down for TACWA's Bill Tracking Table.
Texas State Legislature - Key Dates for 2020-2021
- November 3, 2020 - General Election (local, state, and federal races)
- January 12, 2021 - Texas legislature convenes, start of the 87th Legislative Session
- May 31, 2021 - Last day of regular Texas legislative session (Governor can add special sessions to allow more time to pass legislation)
Texas 86th Legislature Interim Reports
- State House Natural Resources Committee Interim Report
- State Senate Water and Rural Affairs Committee Interim Report
- State Senate Natural Resources and Economic Development Committee Interim Report
Texas 86th Legislature Interim Charges
Members are charged with gathering information and reporting back on assigned topics while not in session.
87th Session High Priority Water Quality Bills
Swanson, Valoree
Relating to legislative review and approval of certain state agency rules.
Refiled from 86R Session
Zwiener, Erin
Relating to an exemption from ad valorem taxation of the portion of the appraised value of a person's property that is attributable to the installation in or on the property of certain water conservation systems.
Filed 11/9/2020
Zwiener, Erin
Relating to the authority of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to require water pollution abatement plans from certain facilities regulated by the Railroad Commission of Texas.
Refiled from 86R Session
Murr, Andrew
Relating to the procedure by which a state agency may issue an opinion that a watercourse is navigable.
Refiled from 86R Session
Collier, Nicole
Relating to testing for lead contamination in public school drinking water.
Filed 11/9/2020
Zwiener, Erin
Relating to a requirement to make certain environmental and water use permit applications available online.
Refiled from 86R Session; Companion Bill HB 245
Lopez, Ray
Relating to providing notice to a state representative and senator of an administrative penalty assessed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
Refiled from 86R Session
Beckley, Michelle
Relating to the regulation by the Texas Department of Transportation of right-of-way landscaping installed by utilities.
Filed 11/10/2020; Companion Bill HB 2312
Walle, Armando
Relating to notice requirements for a leased dwelling located in a floodplain.
Filed 11/12/2020
Gervin-Hawkins, Barbara
Relating to the adoption of a healthy and safe school water plan by public schools.
Refiled from 86R Session
Perez, Mary Ann
Relating to performance standards for certain aboveground storage tanks.
Filed 12/2/2020
Reynolds, Ron
Relating to the establishment of the Texas Environmental Justice Advisory Council.
Filed 12/3/2020; Companion Bill HB 1491
Middleton, Mayes
Relating to the use by a political subdivision of public funds for lobbying activities.
Filed 12/8/2020
Collier, Nicole
Relating to changes to an application for an environmental permit before a contested case hearing on the application.
Filed 12/17/2020; Companion Bill HB 1006
Dutton Jr., Harold
Relating to public comments on matters subject to a hearing under the jurisdiction of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
Filed 1/5/2021; Companion Bill HB 1804
Dutton Jr., Harold
Relating to the definition of "affected person" for purposes of a contested case hearing held by or for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality regarding certain environmental permit applications.
Filed 1/5/2021; Companion Bills HB 654 and SB 573
Thierry, Shawn
Relating to certain public school workforce training programs funded by the skills development fund and to authorizing school districts to provide funding using money received under the Foundation School Program.
Filed 1/8/2021
Ramos, Ana-Maria
Relating to the publication of pathogen-related freshwater data by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Filed 1/15/2021
Goodwin, Vikki
Relating to the creation of the Office of Environmental Justice within the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
Filed 1/19/2021
Reynolds, Ron
Relating to notice of certain accidental discharges or spills to local government officials by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
Filed 1/22/2021
Swanson, Valoree
Proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for legislative review or approval of state agency rules.
Filed 11/9/2020; Companion Resolutions HJR 88 and HJR 149
Johnson, Nathan
Relating to performance standards for certain aboveground storage tanks.
Filed 12/2/2020
Hall, Bob
Relating to the use by a political subdivision of public funds for lobbying activities.
Filed 12/7/2020
Eckhardt, Sarah
Relating to the transmission of water across two or more county lines for the purpose of providing wholesale water service.
Filed 1/11/2021
Huffman, Joan
Relating to notice requirements for leased residential property, manufactured home lots, or commercial property located in a flood zone.
Filed 1/11/2021; Companion Bills HB 970 and SB 640
Powell, Beverly
Relating to the award of grants by the Texas Workforce Commission to facilitate the participation of certain veterans and military personnel in apprenticeship training programs.
Filed 1/13/2021; Companion Bill HB 2588